Embracing the inner pink and living with intention and absurdity. I am woman, hear me roar.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

One thing I did this weekend

My greatest challenge this weekend was taking care of my friends' twin 7 (or 9?) month old boys for 3 1/2 hours. All by my lonesome. I was unsure how I'd deal, but it all ended up ok. My friend's sister was there but she needed to leave town early to go see her own son in a show. When I got there she gave me the run-down - much more than I would ever want to know. She really didn't want to leave, but of course had to go. As she's saying that D hadn't pooped all weekend, D's standing up by the door grunting. Oh crap. Literally. Thankfully she changed him before she left (with exclamations from the other room: Oh My! It's so big! I can't believe that came out of you D! - she's a very bubbly woman)

Half hour into it, I was ready to do something to make the time go by. I tried feeding them. But getting two boys into high chairs and keeping them occupied and fed, well, it didn't last long. So then we went for a walk. But getting two boys into coats and hats and getting down the street is not easy, so it took a long time to get going.

(BTW, Yes, I know anyone with kids knows all this. But it's so hard when you don't do it day in and day out. I mean, when do you go to the bathroom??)

And then riding them around in the store, trying to gather up items to buy without crushing the boys, well, that was interesting. As was fitting the double stroller down the checkout lane.

Back at the house, they were getting grumpy so I knew either they had to be fed, had to nap, or needed a diaper change. The diaper was ok I thought. And it wasn't quite nap time. So, I decided to feed them some more. But none of this chair business. I got the food, sat on the other side of the baby grate, and fed them through the bars as they stood up. Zoo time!

THEN it was time for nap. One upstairs, one down. They screamed for a good 10 minutes and then finally it was quiet. I tried to find HGTV, my favorite station - by the time I found it - they were both screaming again. My friend had said that I should let them cry but I didn't know that meant if they woke up too early from the nap too.

So, both got up. One got a diaper change. And then I just held both - one on each leg as I sat on the floor, and let them lean against me and stop crying and hopefully sleep. When dad showed up, they were so out of it, they just kinda looked at them in a stupor. I am afraid to find out how they were the rest of the day/evening given they had such a short nap. But they survived and so did I. It's easier when you don't necessarily have to follow all the rules (like eating in a chair). I got off easy I think.

I had to watch my two nephews, one who wasn't potty trained and our neighbor kid who was my older nephew's age...like 7 or 8. Mass hysteria, but eventually I was able to settle down and play with all of them.

About Me

Living my life on a bumper sticker: Destined to be an Old Woman with No Regrets.
See also: Leo; burly girl; rock climber; artist-wanna-be; youngest of six; gassy girl; seeker of truth, laughter and beauty.